Alabama Congressman Vows To ‘Do Anything Short Of Shooting’ Undocumented Immigrants

The New York Daily News‘ Aliyah Shahid reports an Alabama congressman, Mo Brooks, is in hot water after an interview he gave to an Alabama television station where he suggested undocumented immigrants “have no right to be here,” and vowed to “do anything short of shooting them.” Brooks, a Republican, argued that undocumented immigrants “(clog) up our emergency rooms and (make) our education system more expensive.” He went on to explain what he’d do about it: “As your congressman on the House floor, I’ll do anything short of shooting them,” he recounted. “Anything that is lawful, it needs to be done because illegal aliens need to quit taking jobs from American citizens.”

Unsurprisingly, Brooks comments have sparked a heated reaction, with Rep. Charles Gonzalez, a Texas Democrat, asking Republicans to repudiate Brooks’ remarks:

“Rhetoric referencing acts of violence has no place in the discussion for realistic solutions to our country’s immigration problems,” Gonzalez said in a statement.

“Words have consequences – and Congressman Brooks chose irresponsible words that reflect a hateful, dehumanizing undercurrent in the discussion on immigration.”

A spokesman for Brooks did not immediately return requests for comment.

Watch the interview here, from WHNT:

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